Bring Him Home
by Hunter-Re
Summary: "He's like the son I might have known if God had granted me a son. The summers die one by one, how soon they fly on and on! And I am old, and will be gone. Bring him peace, bring him joy. He is young, he is only a boy. You can take, you can give. Let him be, let him live. If I die, let me die, let him live. Bring him home, bring him home." (Killers of the Dawn AU, T for violence)
1. Chapter 1

I found out there was a frightening lack of stories in the Cirques archive, so I decided to write one of my own. This is my first story in a while, do constructive criticism is welcome. AU from book nine: Killers of the Dawn with EXTREME SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE BOOK AND THE SERIES. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Also, a portion of the dialogue in the beginning is quoted from the book. !EDIT!: This is the fourth time I've had to try to re-upload this. Hopefully it'll work this time around.

* * *

Vancha frowned suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"

"If you and Larten turn yourselves over to us without a fight," Harst said, "we will allow Darren to duel with our Lord and Steve Leonard. It will be two on one, but he'll be equipped with weapons. If Darren wins, we free all three of you along with the others. If he loses, we execute you and Larten, but the humans and Harkat Mulds go free."

"Think it over," he urged us. "It's a good, honest deal, more than you could have reasonably hoped for."

Vancha turned away from the platform, troubled, and looked to Mr. Crepsley for advice. The vampire, for once, didn't know what to say and merely shook his head mutely.

"What do you think?" Vancha asked me.

"There has to be a catch," I muttered. "Why risk their Lord's life if they don't have to?"

Vancha was quick to jump to his brother's defense, but asked him again if he was telling the truth. As they spoke, I could see Mr. Crepsley silently formulating a plan as he watched us.

"Well, Darren? It is an enormous burden to take upon yourself. Are you prepared to shoulder such a solemn responsibility?"

I sighed resignedly. Even armed, the odds were still very much against me. Both Steve and the Vampaneze Lord were highly skilled fighters and one misstep could send me plunging into a pit of flaming stakes or a put a dagger in my back.

"If this is our best chance, we have to grab it. If you two trust me, I'll accept the challenge-and the blame if I fail."

"Spoken like a true vampire." "He is a true vampire," Mr. Crepsley corrected.

I allowed myself to puff up a little bit with pride. As somebody who almost never gave compliments, his words meant the world to me, but I could still see the worry still lurked behind his eyes.

Vancha demanded that the Vampaneze let Harkat and the humans go, and after a brief argument, he agreed to our terms and let them leave. The ex-police officer, Morgan, kept his rifle trained on Alice as they were shepherded out of the cavern. Suddenly, she yanked the weapon out of his hands and pulled the trigger, blasting part of his face away and slamming the butt of it into the back of his head, taking him down for the count. She took aim and fired at the metal platform. At first most of the bullets simply pinged off of the smooth surface, but one arced wide and caught the Lord in the shoulder. The man howled in pain and his subjects roared with rage in response. The battle had begun.

My first instinct was to go and rescue Debbie from the mad mob that was quickly closing in on us, but the rope ladder leading to the platform had been left unguarded, giving me the perfect chance to take my opponents by surprise. Besides, I trusted Harkat to keep her safe for me.

A hand on my shoulder stopped my ascent up the rope contraption.

"What?" I asked somewhat irritably.

"Darren, are you sure that you will be alright? Steve was once your friend and you may not be-"

"I'll be fine!" I snarled, swatting his hand away. Concern crossed his eyes at something in the look in mine.

_Does he doubt us? Is he calling us weak? How dare he! We'll show him! We should-_

I shook my head to dispel the dark thoughts. "Sorry, I'm just a little nervous."

Vancha frowned. "Are you absolutely sure? One of us could always go up there for you." "How will you fight your brother?"

Vancha cut his eyes away. "Mr. Crepsley can't do it either. There's no way he'd win with his ankle like that."

"Darren-"

"Stay down here. That's an order." I only used my authority against older clan members if it was absolutely necessary, so he knew I was being serious, but he was a stubborn old goat and he wouldn't let that stop him from trying.

"Mind that though you may be a Prince, you are still my Assistant, and I will not allow you to show much such blatant disrespect!" the orange-haired man growled.

"He's right, Larten," Vancha said quietly. "As much as I hate to admit it, he's right."

"But, Sire!" he spluttered.

"Thank you, Vancha." I said honestly.

My mentor opened his mouth as though to protest again, but before he could say anything, I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"If anything happens to me up there, I'm proud to have been your assistant, Larten Crepsley."

A sense of foreboding followed me as I moved to let go. This scene was too similar to the one just before my Trial in the Hall of Flame. Hopefully I would make it out of this one alive as well. The still-taller man unexpectedly held me at arm's length for a moment before firmly hugging me back.

"And I am proud to have been your Master, Sire Shan," he said tightly, holding back a few tears that almost threatened to spill over.

"Even in death may you be triumphant, Cub Prince," Vancha said, arranging his fingers in the Death's Touch sign on his face.

I nodded grimly in response and made my way up to the dais to meet my destiny.

* * *

A bit of a short chapter, just to give some insight on what's going on. Please read and review to help me fix any mistakes I might have made.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't have much to say except thank you to the one person who gave me such a kind review.**

**Now, on to chapter two!**

*Darren's POV*

Steve and the Vampaneze Lord were ready and waiting for me when I reached the top. I gave them cursory glances as I assessed the situation. The Lord was armed simply, with long daggers, while Steve, always one for showing off had a long, spiked chain with a large ball at the end that made it resemble a mace. The Lord would have to get in rather close in order to land a hit on me, but Steve would be able to hit me from meters away without putting himself in danger. He was the one I really needed to worry about defending myself against, but I his master was my first priority, so I would have to take him out quickly and then move on to Steve. Gannen's smooth voice interrupted my calculations.

"What kind of weapon would you like?"

"Your sword will do just fine," I replied.

He unsheathed his weapon and handed it to me carefully. I tested the edge and weight, before nodding to indicate that I was ready to begin.

"So, we managed to overturn the prophecy after all." the hooded man said lowly.

I eyed him skeptically, sinking into a defensive position. "What are you talking about?"

"Desmond told me that it was more likely that I would be required to fight Larten, but we were able to lure you up here regardless."

"Did you really think I'd let him in his condition? Besides, I have a score to settle with your friend over there."

Steve grinned cruelly and cracked his knuckles in anticipation. "I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this, old friend."

"Don't call me that. I'm not your friend anymore."

On the ground below us, the fighting had ceased and all eyes were on us as we circled each other before our duel began.

The half-vampaneze's face crumpled for a moment into something resembling disappointment, but it quickly morphed into a snarl and he lunged at me with the chain end of his weapon. I dodged by half a centimeter and took a slice at his exposed torso. He moved out of my blade's path just in time, and his chain wrapped around it, halting my movements. He smirked and tried yanking me forward, but I twisted my sword and pulled him towards me, knocking him off-balance and into my fist. He gaped like a fish as the wind was knocked out of him and he hit the floor, unconscious. My friends gave me approving roars and I was tempted to reply, but the Vampaneze Lord had taken advantage of my momentary distraction and taken a swipe at me, narrowly missing my throat and putting a new hole in my shirt.

"Darren!" Mr. Crepsley hollered.

I ignored him and ripped my sword with the chain still attached from Steve's limp grip. It was rather unwieldy now, and I didn't have time to untangle it so I would have to make do. The sort-of plain looking man took another at me and I swung my sword to parry his blow, causing the ball of the chain to come around and catch him square in the knee. He howled in pain and collapsed against the railing of the platform, his weapons clattering to the floor. I made use of my stroke of luck and swiftly beheaded him. I kicked his body off the edge where it plunged into the pit of flaming stakes after his head.

An appalled hush fell over the Hall as the Vampaneze and Vampets watched me kill their Lord. I took a shaky step back and let my sword clatter to the floor, stomach roiling as I thought about what I had just done. I had just murdered a man, but I had saved my clan! My mentor and Vancha cheered as our enemies despaired. I allowed myself to smile a little bit. We had won! We _won! _We-

Mr. Crepsley's elation turned to alarm and he tried calling out to me, but I couldn't hear what he was trying to tell me. He pointed frantically behind me, but it was too late. Steve had staggered to his feet behind me, and before I had I chance to defend myself, he dug his elbow into my back with a wild scream and sent me over the edge of the platform to my certain death as well. I flailed about, trying to find purchase on the bars and missed by millimeters. But luckily, my hand shot out just in time and grabbed the length of chain that Steve had foolishly left dangling after he took it back from where I had dropped it. The spikes cut into my palms and I yelped in pain, but I was alive and was all that mattered. Steve was cackling gleefully, part of the chain wrapped around his knuckles.

My weight on the end of the chain pulled him forward and the madman joined me in dangling above the pit. The chain slithered towards us and we slipped even further towards the flames.

Gannen cried out and grabbed as much of it as he could before we fell. The impact made the spikes bite into my hands even harder and I whimpered in pain. I could hear Debbie scream my name from the back of the room and I was sorry that she had to see any of this. Steve kicked at my hand, trying to make me let go and causing the chain to swing back and forth. Gannen grunted in pain as our combined weight threatened to dislocate his shoulder.

"Let go or you'll kill us both!"

He kicked my hands again, causing me to tighten my grip and pull the chain down further.

"Stop! Stop this, and we'll let you go!" Gannen gritted out.

"No! I promised myself two things on the way here. One, that I'd kill your Lord. And two, that I'd kill Steve. I wasn't taught to leave any job half done."

We were slipping further and our chances of survival were dwindling fast.

"What-about-your friends? If Leonard dies, I'll order their deaths."

That got my attention, and I paused lost in thought.

"Including," he finished,"The humans and the Little Person."

"Him too! Spare Darren's life as well!" Mr. Crepsley shouted.

"No! Shan dies! I won't let him go!" Steve snarled.

"Y-you don't know what you're saying..."

"I do," he replied softly. "I'll let the others go, but Darren dies because he betrayed me! And if I have to die with him I will, consequences be damned!"

I looked to Mr. Crepsley and our eyes locked in grim understanding.

"So, if I let go of this rope, you'll let everybody go?"

"That was the deal. But hurry! I can't hold on for much longer."

"Darren, no!" Debbie screamed. "Crepsley! We have to save him! We can't just-"

Harkat shook his bald head and extended a solemn grey arm to stop her.

"There's nothing we...can do."

Debbie fell to her knees and began to sob while Alice stood awkwardly above her unsure of what to do.

I tore my eyes away from them and back to my vampiric friends. I addressed Vancha first.

"We didn't know each other long, but we had some fun times, right?"

"Aye," he croaked bitterly.

"Will you sing my praises once you reach Vampire Mountain again? And give me a toast even f it's only some bat broth?"

"I'll drink a whole barrel of ale and sing death songs until my voice breaks."

I shook my head and chuckled quietly to myself. Vancha always was one to take things to extremes.

I looked over to Harkat and Debbie again.

"I love you, Debbie. Please don't cry over me."

"I-I love you too, Darren." she sobbed.

"Thank you for everything, Harkat. Tell Evra I said that too."

The Little Person nodded, green tears beginning to well in his eyes.

Last but not most definitely not the least, I turned to my mentor and smiled awkwardly.

"Larten."

"Darren."

"Hurry! My grip is slipping," Gannen yelled. "You only have a few seconds!"

"That's all I'll need," I took a deep breath before continuing. "Don't let your hatred take you over, my death doesn't need avenging. If you let yourself turn out like Steve up there, I'll have to come back from the grave and knock some sense into you." I half-joked.

"Do you still want me to kill Leonard?" he asked hesitantly.

"Oh, by all means do! But don't let that task take you over and turn you into another Steve."

"Of course." he said tightly.

"And, thank you, Mr. Crepsley. Thank you for everything."

"It was my pleasure, Master Shan."

"I-can't-hold-on-any-longer!" Gannen cried, shaking and sweating from the strain.

"You don't have to." I assured him.

I took one hand off and made the Death's Touch sign to my audience. "Gods of the Vampires! Even in Death may I be triumphant!"

Then the last echo of my final words finished echoing around the cavern, I let go.

-/-/-

**Not particularly happy with this one, but w/e. The next few chapters will be from Larten's point of view, seeing as Darren is a bit...incapacitated at the moment.**


	3. Chapter 3

At the last possible instant, when I believed all hope for my s-Assistant's survival was lost, someone on a rope swung from the ceiling and snatched Darren away to safety. To my surprise, was Mika Ver Leth!

"Now!" He roared. At his signal, an army of vampires burst from the ceiling and landed amongst the off-guard Vampaneze.

Before they had a chance to react, our forces were upon them, hacking, slashing and destroying the demoralized enemy.

Gannen wailed despairingly and threw himself at Darren and Mika, who calmly severed his head from his shoulders and sent it rolling off the platform with his Lord's.

I leapt to my feet and whooped with joy. Darren was alive and we were going to win!

Debbie had stopped her crying to look affronted at Harkat's gleeful shouting before realizing just what was going on and cheering herself.

I turned to Vancha incredulously. "But how did-"

He grinned and put a conspiratorial finger to his lips. "While you were stuck in jail, I flitted to the Mountain and alerted them to the situation and these guys flitted back with me."

"But how? It would take at least three nights to do that!"

"Don't sweat the small stuff, Larten," he called over his shoulder before leaping into the fray as I stood awestruck, unable to remove my eyes from the scene on the platform.

That wretch Leonard, realizing he was finished, tried to scuttle away like the roach he is. Mika made a move to stop him but was halted by my Assistant.

"Allow me, Sire."

He borrowed one of the many knives his fellow Prince had brought along and took aim. The blade found it's home in the back of Leonard's head and the madman was dead before he hit the ground.

The victorious duo swung back to the ground on Mika's rope, the ladder having been burnt as the stakes went up in flames.

"Darren! You are alright!"

"Mr. Crepsley!" he roared, barreling into my open arms and almost cracking my jaw with his forehead. When had he gotten so tall?

"Bet you thought I was a goner." he laughed.

"No, you are far too stubborn for that. You've proved as such to me over these past few years, Darren."

He had buried his head in my chest and was crying by now. "You vain old git."

"Rude young brat!" I retorted affectionately. I held him at arm's length for a moment, still thinking there could e no way this was real and thumbed dirt and tears away from his eyes and then-and then we-

No, that's not what happened at all. No matter how much I wished it, oh, how I _wished _it with all my heart and soul, that is not at all what happened. I must have imagined thousands of outrageous scenarios during that impossibly long instant before his fall. Mr. Tall intervened, Paris, Seba, Vancha, _Kurda, _anybody. But nobody came. We did not leave the cavern that night with light hearts and smiles on our grimy faces.

Instead, Darren dropped. He was impaled on the stakes where he died.

And it was _horrific._

His death was neither quick, nor merciful as it had been for the Lord of the Vampaneze. Darren did not die instantly as he did. Though I am grateful that his soul did not linger for very long on this earth, his agonized screams as he writhed and bled and burned will stay with me until the end of my days.

I sank to my knees near the pit as the cries died down, unable to weep. It was like a great, gaping vacuum had opened up in my very soul and sucked out my emotions, much like the ones that Arra and Gavner had left. Only this time, it felt as though nothing could ever fill it up again.


	4. Chapter 4

**To the guest reviewer: you have brought up a very good point which will-hopefully-be plausibly resolved later on**.

-:-:-

Larten had taken up a helpless vigil by the pit as what was left of his Assistant-who had become more like a son to him than anything-burned and crumbled before his eyes.

After what felt like hours, Vancha nudged his shoulder gently, wiping his tears away.

"Come on, Larten. We need to leave."

"I'm staying here. We will give him a proper burial in his grave." the orange-haired man replied without turning around.

"It is what he wa-would have wanted. He asked me to do the same before his first Trials and I doubt he changed his mind since then."

If Vancha noticed the slip-up in his normally immaculate speech, he didn't point it out.

"Not me. I can't stay here. It's too horrible," Debbie sobbed.

"It's alright," Vancha said understandingly. "Alice, take her into the smaller cave just outside of here."

The white-haired woman sniffed a little and obeyed.

Harkat stayed behind and stood awkwardly beside Crepsley.

A large figure supporting a smaller, bloodied figure with what remained of their arms lumbered past. Harkat gripped his axe tighter, ready to jump on the offensive. Vancha and the larger one of them traded snarls and insults back and forth for a while, but the Larten wasn't listening and to be frank, he couldn't have cared less about what they said. His Assistant was _dead. _But the Vampaneze Lord was as well, so at the very least he had died for something.

More time passed and the bodies in the pit still burned. Ranks of Vampaneze and Vampet soldiers began to file out of the cavern, no doubt plotting some sort of revenge after they had regrouped enough.

Again they were alone at the pit. The cavern was nearly silent now. Almost all the vampaneze and vampets had scuttled away. Only a few stragglers remained underground. Among them were Gannen Harst and Steve Leopard who couldn't keep the evil grin off his ugly mug.

"What's that cooking on the fire, boys?" he asked, putting up his hands as though he was trying to warm them over a campfire.

"Go away," Mr. Crepsley said hollowly."Or I will cut you down where you stand, deal or no."

Steve's face faulted and he glared at him venomously. "It's your own fault," he pouted. "If you hadn't called me ev-"

The older man snarled and swung his blade, intending to cut his throat.

Vancha knocked it off-course with the back of his hand before he could draw cut him. "No," he said, placing himself in between the two. "If you kill him, the others will return and kill us. Let it drop. We'll get him later."

"Wise words, brother," Gannen Harst said, coming up next to Vancha. His face was drawn and the few lines on it stood out and made him look all the more weary. "There's been enough killing. We-"

"Get lost!" Vancha snapped.

Harst's expression darkened. "Don't speak to me like-"

"I won't warn you again," Vancha snarled ominously.

Gannen bristled, then raised his hands in a placating gesture and turned to walk away. Steve didn't follow.

"I want to tell him," the half-vampaneze said, his eyes never leaving the broken vampire.

"No!" Gannen Harst hissed. "You mustn't! Not now! You?"

"I want to tell him," Steve said more forcefully this time.

Harst cursed beneath his breath, looked nervously around, then nodded tensely. "Very well. But over to one side, where nobody else can hear."

"What are you up to now?" Vancha asked suspiciously.

"You'll find out," Steve giggled like a child at Christmas, grabbing Mr. Crepsley's arm and pulling him away.

He smacked him away. "Keep away from me, filth! I can walk on my own," he snarled.

"Now, now," he said. "Don't be hasty. I've news I'm bursting to tell you."

"I don't want to hear it."

"Oh, but you do," he insisted, still grinning."You'll kick yourself from here to the moon if you don't come and listen."

Larten very much wanted to tell him just what exactly he could do with his "news". He hesitated for a moment, then stomped away out of earshot of the others. Steve followed him, Gannen close behind.

"I used to think it could have been different," he said quietly, when they got far enough away. "But now I think it was always meant to be this way. It was your destiny to convince Darren to betray me, your fate to take him as your Assistant instead of me, and to lead the hunt for the Vampaneze Lord. Just as it was my destiny to find my own path into the night and-"

"What are you on about?"

A devious expression crept over his face. "Hold him," he grunted, and Gannen grabbed his arms and held him rooted where he stood.

"Yes," Harst said uneasily. "But hurry, before the others intervene."

"Your wish is my command," Steve smiled sardonically, then put his lips close to the older man's ear and whispered something terrible - something dreadful - something that would flip what was left of his world on its head and would haunt his every waking and sleeping moment from that point forward.

As he pulled away, having tortured him with his devastating secret, Crepsley roaring in anger and grief, took a swipe at the madman, aiming to tear him to shreds with his bare hands. Harst intervened just in time with an elbow to the back of his head and he was unconscious, falling into the tortured sleep of the damned.

-:-:-

**I almost did the knockout gas thing, but I don't remember it working on other Vampires or Vampaneze so Mr. Crepsley just got whacked instead. Also, if there's anything up with my spacing, it's because I'm writing everything from my phone because Chromebooks are pretty useless and you should just save up for that more expensive one you were looking at earlier. Or that Samsung on that costs the same but actually has Microsoft Office and most likely a functional trackpad. But anyways, as usual, thank you for reading, and please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I need to start proof-reading more thoroughly lol I just now noticed that during the Cavalry scene, I made Mr. Crepsley say "you've". Whoops**** I guess that's how you can tell it's just a fantasy****. Ah well, I can fix that later. Also, I'm going to be jumping around and changing POVs **_**a lot **_**everything will be linear, unless specifically stated otherwise though, so you guys don't think I'm crazy.**

**Answers:**

**Guest: *steve-like cackling***

**Blackblackblue: Thanks :D your story is turning out to be really interesting too.**

**-:-:-**

When he woke, it was dark in the cavern, the candles in the chandeliers having burnt themselves out. The fire in the pit was burning low, almost completely out at this point. The ground was cold and hard. Where were they? At a campsite or something? Crepsley sat up, intending to wake his Assistant to ask where dinner was.

"Darren, wh-"

_Darren._

The events of the past night slammed back into his mind full-force. Darren was _dead _and for what? Crepsley staggered to his feet, still cradling his head in his hands.

"No, no, no...it cannot be!"

Vancha and Harkat rushed over, catching him as he fell back onto his knees.

"No, no, _no,_" he moaned. "Darren..."

"Calm down, Larten. You're in shock, you just need some time to recover." Vancha soothed.

"Recover? _Recover?_" the younger vampire laughed almost maniacally. "Darren has died in vain!"

"What are you saying?" Vancha snapped incredulously.

"Exactly what you think I am saying."

"I do, and I'm saying it's not true!" he shouted, "He defeated the Vampaneze Lord and saved our clan! He knew the odds coming into this. We all did. We'd have sacrificed all our lives if we had to. I feel Darren's loss as much as you-even though you knew him longer than I did-but he died honorably, and gave his life for a cause that was just. If his spirit's looking down on us, he'll be willing us to celebrate his great victory, not bemoan his-"

"You remember our first encounter with the Vampaneze Lord?" the orange-haired man interrupted, still staring at his feet. "You recall how he masqueraded as a mere servant, so we paid no notice to him and attacked the others, allowing him to escape?"

Vancha nodded uneasily. "Aye. What of it?"

"They fooled us then, Vancha," he said, "and they have done it again. We won absolutely nothing and Darren has died in vain."

"You don't mean-" Harkat gasped in disbelief.

"Steve Leonard is the true Lord of the Vampaneze."

-:-:-

An oppressive and desolate silence made its home above the remaining members of the party as they trudged their way through the sewers, destination unknown. Debbie still choked back a sob every now and then and Vancha kept swiping at his nose and eyes. Alice was simply quiet and Harkat looked furious. Larten trailed despondently behind the rest of the group, wondering what he had done to anger in his lifetime that would be so cruel as to take such a short, dear life away from him in revenge.

He stood off to the side as Vancha gave Debbie and Alice a hand out of the manhole.

There was a snap and a crack as the air split and Evanna appeared before them.

Vancha quickly drew a shuriken from his belt.

"Peace, Vancha. I have come to help, not hinder."

"You knew what was going to happen, didn't you? You knew he was going to die!"

"Silence! You know that even if I did, there would be nothing I could do to change his fate. Though I must admit, I was surprised by his death."

"Surprised?"

"Yes," she nodded and held up two fingers. "There were two paths available to your group after you made the deal with Gannen. The one that most clear-which you have avoided by the way-was one in which Larten fooled Darren into allowing him to go up there instead. The second one, which has come to pass even though it was admittedly the least probable course of action is this one."

'It was supposed to be _me.' _Crepsley thought to himself. 'It should have been me.'

"As much as I would like to grieve over Darren as well, we have a more pressing matter at hand. That was your second to last chance to kill the Vampaneze Lord and prevent the Lord of the Shadows from coming into power, but you have failed once again."

Vancha looked away, ashamed.

"The Shan boy was meant to kill him, but that's obviously impossible now." Evanna continued. One of _you _must destroy Leonard or your clan, the Vampaneze and the rest of the world will be doomed."

-:-:-

**Dun dun duuuuun**

**It kind of feels like I cut these off at weird points sometimes, but I like this format.**

**Also, I know in the actual books Darren agreed to letting Crepsley go, but in the manga Vancha helped Crepsley fool him into getting up there.**


	6. Chapter 6

**The beginning portion of this chapter is why I should proofread more often. I finished reading Zom-B in second yesterday and now I want to do an AU of some sort where The Lord of the Shadows brings a zombie apocalypse.**

**Answers**

**Guest: Yeah, the manga is pretty accurate but there are some differences because it was serialized in eighteen page chapters and Arai couldn't fit **_**all **_**the dialogue in. One kinda big difference is in vol. 9 where instead of asking Darren to kill Steve for him, Crepsley asks him to forgive him for turning him into a vampire and all that jazz.** **Also, idk man Shan was pretty straightforward about their relationship in the books. Truska came right out and said and I think Darren did too at one point and even if they hadn't, it could've been read into the story pretty easily.**

**ALSO SPOILER WARNING FOR THE LARTEN CREPSLEY SAGA BIG BIG SPOILER AHEAD.**

-:-:-:-

It was all I could do to stay upright as this devastating news hit me. I had almost singlehandedly doomed the clan and the world at large.

After making her announcement, Evanna presented me with a small wooden box with simple but elegant carvings on the lid and a satchel that was heavy with what felt like books. I didn't need to ask what was inside either of them.

Alice and Debbie were given folded up pieces of paper and instructed not to open them until they were sure of what they were doing. Harkat was given the option of returning to the Cirque, but he declined, saying he felt that he should stay with the everybody else until the quest was over.

With her news delivered and items distributed, the sorceress disappeared into the night once more.

"Will you be going back to work?" Vancha spoke after a moment to Alice.

She dragged a weary hand through her short hair. "I don't know, honestly. Especially after what I just saw I don't know how deep the corruption in the force reaches. And I may not know who's really in the wrong in this war, but I do know evil when I see it, and whatever you lot are isn't it."

"I thank you for that, Ms. Burgess." he said sincerely.

She simply nodded and walked away, taking Debbie with her, presumably to take her home as well.

"So, what now?" Harkat asked sounding weary as we all looked.

What _would _we do? I, of course, would bury my Assistant's remains in his hometown, but what then? I could not go back to the Cirque, there were too many memories there and I would not be able to face his friends. Evra and Truska would be absolutely crushed.

"I have no idea."

The Mountain might even be worse. We were there for longer than we were in the Cirque and there would be even more memories to contend with.

Vancha was there with a hand on my shoulder. "You don't need to decide just yet."

"I must bu-...take Darren home first. And destroy Leonard for what he did," I said bitterly. "But after that, I truly have no idea where I will go."

"You're always welcome back at the mountain," Harkat offered. "Seba is still looking for somebody to take his place."

That was a somewhat comforting thought, but I did not want to return to the Mountain. Not yet. Seba would pity me, and that was the very last thing I wanted.

-:-:-

The moon rose the next night and peeked tentatively between the wooden shutter slats of the abandoned factory the team had taken refuge in. Vancha had crept out at dusk to begin his journey to the Mountain to tell the remaining two Princes there about what had happened and rally the troops they would definitely need to vanquish their foes. Due to the limitations of telepathic communication, all the Princes currently knew was that their beloved Cub Prince was dead. Hopefully he would arrive to explain the situation in more depth. Harkat had surprisingly chosen to go with him.

Larten sat listlessly with his back against the dilapidated wall, satchel cradled in his arms and the box on the ground next to him, grieving in silence. He could just barely feel the ghost of a shaggy black-haired head fast asleep on his shoulder on the side where the box rested. He kept his eyes trained on the ceiling, wanting to keep the illusion of a child who was simply sleeping after a successful battle alive for as long as possible. At around twelve he finally drew himself up, stiff joints creaking in protest to begin his long journey.

He had to wonder, is this how Seba felt when Wester was killed the way he was? The thought gave him a whole new level of respect for his elderly mentor. In his opinion it would take a special kind of person to not completely fold under such grief.

It was still hard to believe that he was really gone. That the weight on his back as he flitted was simply muscle memory and that there wouldn't be rabbit stew every night until they reached proper civilization. Darren wasn't going to poke him awake at night and tell him about how slow he was getting in his old age, Darren wasn't going to laugh himself into a coughing fit at his lack of understanding of modern technology, Darren wasn't going to listen to any of his stories or be able to tell any of his own. Darren was never going to be able to rise to greatness and make even more of a name for himself in the clan. Darren, his Assistant, his _son _was _dead _and he was never coming back. He knew that, but when the thought hit him, he still tripped over his injured foot and went skidding across the forest floor making the box and the journals fly out of his bag. He cried out and scrambled to collect Darren and his things. It takes a few minutes for him to calm down after everything is safely packed away again. The ache still gnawed at his chest.

The sun began peeking bleakly over the foggy horizon as if annoyed that the moon had disturbed its sleep as Larten settled himself in an empty crypt. He waited for Darren to make some snarky little quip about their accommodations and when it predictably didn't come, the lump in his throat expanded and he heaved a small sob that soon escalated into another larger one and then another and another until he couldn't stop himself and his cries of grief and anger muffled though they were by the stone echoed all throughout the graveyard.

-:-:-

**Would you believe me if I told you I listened to really happy music while writing this? Although I would recommend listening to the Pearl version of **_**Arigatou... **_**by KOKIA for this story, particularly some of the later chapters. I was also thinking about splitting this into two stories, the one I'm writing now and another part where they all whoop up on the Vampaneze. Questions, comments or complaints anyone?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Before we begin:**

**Answers**

**To the u r bitch guest reviewer: thank you for taking the time to write such an articulate review, but sadly, people who get shish-kebabed and slow roasted don't tend to come back to life, as hard as that may be for you to accept. And also, **_**THIS IS MY STORY. **_**I'll kill off whoever I please. If you don't like it, please, by all means write your own.**

**And for anybody else who feels the need to do this, don't. It's not worth anybody's time, and it's a poor reflection on your character.**

-:-:-

He began his work at dark when the cemetery closed. He still remembered exactly where his empty tomb was even though he hadn't been back to this town in nearly twenty years. Darren's headstone was medium-sized and made of black granite. The gilt inscription on it read:

_Darren Michael Shan_

_1984-1999_

_Beloved son, brother and friend._

_'And Vampire Prince.' _Crepsley added mentally.

The gravesite was well taken care of and there were semi-fresh flowers at the base of the stone.

Larten moved them out of the way and used his shovel to carefully separate the sod into squares and set those aside for later. After an hour or so of digging, he struck something solid and hollow. He reached up and retrieved the box from its resting place just above his head and placed it gently on the yellowed pillow. His throat tightened up again as he clicked the coffin lid shut and made the Death's Touch sign to it. He leapt out of the hole before he could let himself cry again.

The work of refilling the grave and placing the grass back where it was took considerably less time than it did to dig it up.

He broke the shovel's handle into pieces and scattered them in the bushes along with its head. A warm breeze rustled through the trees above him and a particularly large branch dropped an armload of dead leaves on him.

Crepsley grumbled half-heartedly and swept them off of himself and the grave. A second one rushed sheepishly by and brushed the ones he had missed away for him.

'_Thank you for everything'_

Larten glanced around to make sure he was the only one there before softly replying, "It was my pleasure," under his breath. "I will miss you, Master Shan."

He swallowed hard and turned sharply on his heel and leaving the graveyard.

The aching kept eating steadily away.

-:-:-

That day, he slept in a nearby mausoleum. The door was cracked just a tad, but it wasn't worth his remaining energy to try to shove it back into place. A small shaft of light shone through the slot, but it wasn't enough to hurt him much if he was exposed. Physical and emotional fatigue took him over after a while and he fell into blessedly dreamless sleep.

His nap was interrupted eventually by the sound of sobbing. It was to be expected, seeing as he was in a graveyard but it annoyed him nonetheless.

After a few minutes, the crying still hadn't subsided and he groaned in irritation.

"I knew it, Darren. I _knew _it!"

Darren? Curious, he pulled up the collar of his cloak and shielded his eyes against the damaging sunlight. He scooted over the crack in the door and peered out of it at the vaguely familiar auburn-haired woman crying tears of joy at Darren's "empty" grave.

"I knew you were alive, big brother," the woman stood and dusted off skirt after wiping her tears away. "I have to go now. Darius has a performance at school tonight and I don't want to be late."

Then she turned and smiled, giving Larten a clear view of her face.

"Annie Shan?"

For a moment, it was like he could see Darren in his long-lost baby sister's face. His hair was much darker than hers, but their eyes were the same blue color. Larten never would have guessed that she still lived in this town, but he guessed it shouldn't have surprised him. The child had absolutely adored her big brother, and he felt a pang of guilt, and not for the first time over tearing them apart.

-:-:-

**Whoopsie, looks like my author's note/rant is almost longer than the actual chapter. Ah well. Should Crepsley tell her about Darren just yet, or leave her be?**


	8. Chapter 8

Larten sat heavily on the cold marble floor of the tomb as he pondered his next move. To think that young Annie Shan still lived in this town! He would have thought that the Shan family would've moved away in the nearly twenty years it had been since their son's "death", but in a way, he supposed it made sense. There were lots of memories in this town, not to mention that his grave was here as well. He snorted almost derisively. Humans were absurdly sentimental.

The sun began to set on the horizon and the wrought-iron gates clanged shut.

'The poor child. She still thinks her brother might still come home.'

He thought back to his reasoning behind faking Darren's death all those years ago. A situation like this was something he had tried to avoid when he did that.

'An endless cycle of grief.'

Larten scratched his scar absentmindedly as the crickets began to chirp. If he were to tell the girl, she might report him to the police. He could not forget that Leonard had framed them for all of those murders and his face was plastered all over the news and that new-fangled internet that Darren had often whined about missing. On that same note, if somebody were to discover the relationship between the infamous "murderer" and Ms. Shan...

But how to tell her? It was not as though he could simply waltz up to her doorstep and say, "Hello, yes, I turned your brother into a vampire and made him fake his death eighteen years ago. And I know how much you wanted to see him again, but he got dropped into a flaming pit of stakes by his ex-best friend."

That would definitely not work out well for anybody.

The orange-haired man swallowed the lump in his throat again, somewhat disgusted with himself for putting it so crudely even if it was only to himself. He dragged his hand across his face in frustration and sat where he was for a little while longer until something in the back of his mind began to whisper to him.

'Tell the girl. She deserves to know, doesn't she?'

That was probably the right thing to do, but how would he go about it? His green eyes fell on the bag beside him. That was correct! He still had Darren's diaries! They weren't much good to him, other than for their sentimental value, as he still couldn't read. But the Shan girl definitely could. Larten felt his heart jump with something resembling hope for the first time in many weeks. He leapt to his feet and gathered up his bag. If his memory served, the only nearby school was nearby, only two miles away. He could easily reach it in less than a few seconds if he flitted there. Once there, he could trail Annie to her home an hope things worked out. And with this new goal in mind, he set out.

-:-:-

The vampire hid on the edge of the roof until he located the Shan woman two young boys, one of whom was presumably "Darius". They both looked ridiculous in their costumes and wigs, but the larger of the two boys didn't seem to care nearly as much as the skinny one. They climbed into the woman's car and trundled away. Larten hit the ground running and stayed at a safe distance behind them.

Their first stop was the larger boy's house. Which left the smaller one -Darius- and Annie. From there, they turned right and onto a familiar street. The orange-haired vampire saw no need to tail them anymore as he guessed where they were headed.

He propelled himself to the sill above the window facing the backyard where he had "killed" Darren all those years ago. He rubbed his forefinger and thumb together to work up a spark and popped the lock open. Not much had changed in the room except for the bedspread and curtains. The writing desk and side table were still in the same place and the bed frame was the same as Darren's.

There was however, an extra bookshelf against the far wall. But instead of being full of fantastic adventure novels, comics and a few picture books like Darren's had been at Darius' presumable age, the shelves were full to bursting with books on vampires and the occult. It was mildly disturbing seeing as the last child he had known to have such a collection had turned into a murdering psychopath.

One in particular caught his eye. It was an obviously well-worn tome, with faded gilt lettered on the spine that read: "A History of Vampires".

He carefully removed it from the shelf and opened it to one of the many brightly bookmarked pages. The words on the page meant nothing to him because he couldn't read them, but on the next one a picture caught his eye. It was the portrait that Alicia had insisted on having made over a century ago. He felt another pang of grief at her memory but it quickly turned to shock and anger. This book must have been Leonard's! After all, he had said that he had found a picture of him in one of his vampire books. But why would this book be in a-

The door clicked open behind him while he was still engrossed in the book and the room's owner gasped in horror.

"Vur Horston!"

Larten jumped and nearly dropped the book in surprise. With his costume off, the child looked almost exactly like Leonard did at his age, the only difference being that his hair was auburn like his mother's and his eyes were blue like-

"What the hell are you doing here? Mom! Mom, hel-"

Larten acted quickly and covered the boy's mouth with his hand, muffling his cries.

"Silence, child. I am not here to harm you or your mother. I wish only to talk."

The boy sank his teeth into his palm, making him hiss in pain. His teeth should not have been that strong.

"Liar! My dad told me all about how you tricked my uncle into betraying him and then how you killed him! You vampires are monsters and my dad'll kill you all!"

"Your father? What in the-"

"Darius? What's going on up there are you alright?"

Larten quickly breathed knock-out gas over the boy's airways before he could scream again and just as he did, Annie Shan appeared in the still-open doorway and saw her son hanging limply in a strangely dressed intruder's grasp and but surprisingly did not scream. Instead she stared at him with in terrified recognition.

"Y-you...you're the man in red." she said.

"Hello, Annie." Larten gave her what was intended to be at least a somewhat reassuring smile that instead caused her to faint.

"Well, Charna's Guts."

-:-:-


End file.
